No Console Emulators Will Properly Launch Games (Solved)

[RoboG2]

I configured my console emulators exactly as was suggested in UncleT's guide, yet they will not run any roms (each giving an error along the lines of 'cannot run the file').  Each and all of the emulators work fine in the command line,  using the same format as is set in MaLa.  From MaLa, Fceultra, Fusion, Project64 and Future Pinball give me an error message, and Zsnes will run but not play anything (no error message).  Any ideas?

[loadman]

I configured my console emulators exactly as was suggested in UncleT's guide, yet they will not run any roms (each giving an error along the lines of 'cannot run the file').  Each and all of the emulators work fine in the command line,  using the same format as is set in MaLa.  From MaLa, Fceultra, Fusion, Project64 and Future Pinball give me an error message, and Zsnes will run but not play anything (no error message).  Any ideas?

many , many have had success wit UncleT's guide.

You might consider posting some screen shots of your set-up?

[RoboG2]

If needed I can take screenshots, but I assure you all options, directories and such are as they should be according to UncleT's guide.  And I don't thinks it's a flaw with his guide either; it seems as though MaLa is not reporting the path of the rom along with the rom name and extension (even though it should according to the MaLa preferences).  For instance, fceultra reports

Cannot open "/Digdug.nes"!

when I try to run Digdug (notice that the path is not included).  This rom, however, runs fine by command line.  This same problem occurs with all emulators other than mame.

[loadman]

Have you tried putting the full path in?

[SGT]

Screenshots of configuration screens only take a second to post.  Sometimes it is easy to over look something that a second set of eyes will spot.  Without seeing the configuration, IMHO its going to be extremely difficult to help.

[RoboG2]

Have you tried putting the full path in?

This worked; thanks!

Now that this works, several other problems popped up.  Now, pj64 reports that roms are invalid even though they run fine in command line, and fusion will hang on a black screen and not play, or give referenced memory errors.  I also tried gens, but that hangs just like fusion (no memory errors though).  Though the pictures do not reflect it, I had to change %path% to the full rom path (I know that works now because it does with the other emulators).

pj64 error


pj64 settings



fusion settings

[SGT]

I have had no problems running Project64 with Mala.  I am running the last beta that they put out which is version 1.7.0.49.  Below is my configuration.  I seen to recall that the command line for those running an old version such as 1.6 is different than mine.  Seems like the old version cannot have the quotes around the command line and the new version requires them.  However I am getting senile.

If you are using an old version of PJ64, and you have spaces in the rom names or in the path... that may be the problem.

[RoboG2]

None of the n64 games work, even the ones without spaces (they all work in the command line though).  I am using pj64 1.6.

[SGT]

Have you tried going to the gamelist editor and look at a specific game to see what Mala has stored for the rom path.  See the screenshot below.

If it is blank, you'll probably need to refresh the main game list.

[RoboG2]

Problem: I cannot use the gamelist editor withthe console gamelists as they do not have an mlg extension, and mala and mala tree will not use them for consoles if they do.  So they have to be named nes.ml0, snes.ml1, n64.ml2, genesis.ml3, and pinball.ml4 for me to use them as console lists in mala and mala tree.  I changed the extension of them to mlg to open them in the gamelist editor, and it appears that I do need to refresh the gamelist, but I cannot do so with the extension confusion (mala will not refresh them if they are ml0..., but it will not associate them with consoles to refresh them if they are mlg).  What can I do here?

[SGT]

I don't understand, but I don't use tree view.  My console emulator gameslists have extensions of ml1, ml2, etc... like yours, but they are called All Games.ml1, All Games.ml2, etc...    I can still open them in the gamelist editor by choosing the emulator from the top menu.

I did not know that you could not refresh a console main game list if in tree view.  Can you not just uncheck the tree view long enough to refresh the console's game list and then return to tree view or will that foul everything up?   A backup of the Mala folder might be in order before trying it?

[RoboG2]

I was not able to refresh anything until I renamed all my game lists like yours ("All Games" rather than "nes", etc.), but now that I have, I can refresh them ( I also had to uncheck "use tree").  Not only that, but you solved all my problems!  You are a life saver!      

Thanks.

[SGT]

Woot! 

[loadman]

Guys,

I have not used MaLa Tree much................. yet

Can one/both of you spoon feed me any simple ideas for changes to MaLa so that other users won't get stuck with this if you think it will help.

Thanks for your support 

[SGT]

I am ignorant of tree view, but it sounds like the option to refresh the main game list is greyed out/disabled when in tree view.   I'm not sure why Swindus elected to disable it unless while in tree view, its not obvious which game list should be refreshed.

[RoboG2]

SGT is correct; the first 5 options in the right-click menu are greyed-out when in tree view.  This includes all game list options.  I have had to uncheck "use tree" from the options menu to refresh every time I have needed to do so; not a very obvious thing.  So the ability to choose and refresh game lists while in tree view would be a good change. 

I also don't think it's an obvious thing to have to name gamelists belonging to emulators other than mame "All Games.ml*" in order to be able to refresh the "main game list" for each emu; this is probably what caused me the most difficulties.  Hopefully, other people who encounter the same problems will encounter this thread and find that this is the solution.

Besides these few hiccups I have had, mala is really of the big things that has made my project possible.  Thanks for the great frontend!